1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shape measurement method and a shape measurement apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, as a probe for a three-dimensional coordinate measuring machine or the like, a probe having a bar-like shaft and a contacting sphere provided at a tip end of the shaft has been used. A probe processing method and a probe processing apparatus for processing a probe having a fine tip sphere providing a high measurement sensitivity, have been known (see Patent Publication 1).
[Patent Publication 1] Published Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-96033
However, in the above conventional technique, although it is possible to process a probe having a fine tip sphere, it is difficult to measure the sphericity of a fine tip sphere. Thus, the measurement of the sphericity of a tip sphere is a key to provide a fine probing system having higher accuracy, which is expected to be developed in the future.